Former 007 continuation author Raymond Benson has been named the 2007 Joseph G. Astman Distinguished Conference Scholar for the upcoming conference ‘Bond, James Bond–the World of 007’ at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

The ‘Bond, James Bond–the World of 007’ conference is set to take place on 7-8 November 2007 at the university. The award was established in 1985 in recognition of the outstanding role of the late founder of the Hofstra Cultural Center. Previous recipients of the award include such luminaries as E. L. Doctorow, Joyce Carol Oates, John Cage, Marilyn French, Lucine Amara, Tovah Feldshuh, Peter A. Quinn, Donald Spoto, Walter Isaacson, Peter Riddell, and many other scholars, historians, and artists.